Records were also set in Riverside County. Ramona hit 101 degrees. That broke a record of 99 set in 1998, forecasters said. Th desert community of Thermal hit 115 degrees, which beat a record of 114 recorded in 2004.

Triple-digit temperatures were also recorded in places such as Palmdale, which topped out at 107 degrees, and Elsinore, where the high was 111 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. Downtown Los Angeles at USC was 89 degrees.

Forecasters said Thursday and Friday could be the hottest days. The heat could couple with monsoonal moisture, sparking thunderstorms in mountain and valley areas.